Nice work Greg! I’ve not tried a brass wheel for cleaning up rusted exhaust, just arm pressure and 0000 steel wool but I can see where the wheel might get a little more off without wearing my arm out.
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
81 Special
- Thread starter GLJ
- Start date
For me, just regular riding and keeping the bike clean seems to do the trick. I have one stock muffler running with what I believe is battery acid damage.
No big spots. Just going to keep wax on it.
Wax on a muffler? How’s that work? Lol
Can't really say how it works, but I do the same on lightly pitted mufflers. It does make a difference.
Been doing it for years also.Just makes small pits a bit less conspicuous after a complete cleanup like Greg has done is what I’ve found.His look great.No scientific answer why either.
Don't knock it if you haven't tried it.
Little update.
Last spring I finished it up. Road around the neighborhood a little. Wanted to ride it more but no plates on it. In IL. when you do a title transfer you can get plates. Kinda a cool but if you are on a bike without a plate the cops are pretty sure you don't have one. I could have used a plate off of another bike but if caught IL will make your life miserable. Below is the rest of the story maybe.
Last Nov. when I bought it I made a bad mistake. I didn't do a title transfer. I'm a great procrastinator. I do not like paperwork. I know better don't spend money until you have a title in your name in hand. Now when I got the bike I got a IL title with it. I looked at it and on the back it was signed off. OK but not by the owner but by his executor. I thought this could be a problem. I liked the bike less than 1000 miles on it, bought it. Fast forward got it running in the spring time to transfer title and get plates. Go to DMV. Bad news! Titles ok but I need a Letter of Office for the executor and a death certificate for the original owner. He's been dead for about 10 years. Death certificate not a horrible deal just would have to find the county he died in. Letter of Office would be tougher. It is issued by the court. I have no idea if she is even alive or if she is where to find her. If I found her would she even care to help me.
Hmm. Decided to put bike on back burner. Had other stuff to work on. Been weighing my options. Channel my inner Perry Drake and try to find her(executor), part it out or sell as is with title problem.
Monday had a DR. appointment got some news I wasn't thrilled with. Tuesday was a better day! Got a call from the guy I bought it from. He has a lot of bikes and sold a couple more. In searching for their titles he found the missing paper work I need. When I found out my problem last spring I called him about it. He thought all he ever got was the title. He dropped the stuff off Wednesday. Went to DMV today and things went smoothly. Came home with a plate. Not out of the woods yet. Springfield could reject the transfer because of the age of the Letter of Office. Fingers crossed!
Lesson learned the hard way get a title in your hand before spending money on them. Yes I know I was a fool, just never had a problem before.
Last spring I finished it up. Road around the neighborhood a little. Wanted to ride it more but no plates on it. In IL. when you do a title transfer you can get plates. Kinda a cool but if you are on a bike without a plate the cops are pretty sure you don't have one. I could have used a plate off of another bike but if caught IL will make your life miserable. Below is the rest of the story maybe.
Last Nov. when I bought it I made a bad mistake. I didn't do a title transfer. I'm a great procrastinator. I do not like paperwork. I know better don't spend money until you have a title in your name in hand. Now when I got the bike I got a IL title with it. I looked at it and on the back it was signed off. OK but not by the owner but by his executor. I thought this could be a problem. I liked the bike less than 1000 miles on it, bought it. Fast forward got it running in the spring time to transfer title and get plates. Go to DMV. Bad news! Titles ok but I need a Letter of Office for the executor and a death certificate for the original owner. He's been dead for about 10 years. Death certificate not a horrible deal just would have to find the county he died in. Letter of Office would be tougher. It is issued by the court. I have no idea if she is even alive or if she is where to find her. If I found her would she even care to help me.
Hmm. Decided to put bike on back burner. Had other stuff to work on. Been weighing my options. Channel my inner Perry Drake and try to find her(executor), part it out or sell as is with title problem.
Monday had a DR. appointment got some news I wasn't thrilled with. Tuesday was a better day! Got a call from the guy I bought it from. He has a lot of bikes and sold a couple more. In searching for their titles he found the missing paper work I need. When I found out my problem last spring I called him about it. He thought all he ever got was the title. He dropped the stuff off Wednesday. Went to DMV today and things went smoothly. Came home with a plate. Not out of the woods yet. Springfield could reject the transfer because of the age of the Letter of Office. Fingers crossed!
Lesson learned the hard way get a title in your hand before spending money on them. Yes I know I was a fool, just never had a problem before.
Last edited:
I waxed my muffler..... shit, wrong website...
Not sure what you are referring to. I'll address both.
The medical issue could end up with what I would call major surgery. The kind where they split your breast bone like a chicken in a processing plant. I will be getting another CAT scan and then go from there. I'm not going to stress about it right now. I'm going to live my life as normal.
The title is not a 100% done deal. Springfield (state capital) could kick it back. Local DMV had no problem with my paper work. Have to wait and see.
Yesterday after getting back from DMV I started it up. It fired right up but left cylinder was not hitting all the time. Hmm. Shut it off and a min later gas ran out of left carb then after another couple of mins stopped. Hmm Hmm. 2 problems. Left carb needle/seat not sealing and petcock leaking when bike off. This afternoon put it back on lift. Installed plate and addressed left carb. Long story short had to lower the float to get it to shut off. I'm not sure I like linked BS34 carbs. Cleaned the spark plug and started it. Success hitting on both cylinders! Adjusted idle and took it on a beer run.
Never had ridden a Special before except this one for a few blocks last spring. Motor is very civilized when compared to a XS2 with a 750 kit. Doesn't try to jerk your arms out of their socket when you touch the throttle. Clutch is smooth. Steering felt nice. Bakes so so. I prefer the dual piston calipers on the earlier bikes. Suspension and seat very plush, really like the feel. Seat position and handle bars I don't know if I could ever get used to them. Seat puts be 3-4 inches to far forward and handle bars what can I say they are buck horns. People either love them or hate them. I'm in the later group.
Tomorrow before it gets too hot going to take it for a longer ride. Need to run some gas out of it so I can work on the petcock.
Last edited:
The bike does have a bug in it that I am not going to try and get out of it.
Went for a longer ride today. It ran well. No stumbling, stuttering or backfires. Definitely does not have the balls of a early bike. It has smaller carbs and a milder cam so it's not going to. I think it would really benefit from a 32 tooth rear sprocket. Might loose a little performance but would make it better on faster roads. I do not at all like the seat position or handlebars. If I had a shorter inseam it would probable be wonderful. Really like the feel of the frame and suspension. Seems very stable at speed. Don't feel the bumps near as much as I do on my other bikes. All in all not a bad bike and improved quit a bit over the early bikes. If I was to keep it I would have to do something to the seat and handle bars. I doubt if I keep it. My plan is to ride it he rest of the year and sell it in the spring. Will make someone a very nice bike. Odometer up to 996.5 now. I would like to find a 76 or 77 standard to fix up someday.
Currently on lift and draining the gas so I can work on the petcock.
Currently on lift and draining the gas so I can work on the petcock.
Should have updated this last fall. Put about 100 smiles on it and it runs well. Really like the frame and suspension. Don't care for the front brakes, seat or handle bars. The motor is smooth. My buddy rode it and he says it runs just fine. His brother bought a new 81. He said he rode it a lot and liked it a lot.
Fast forward to yesterday. Santa came a day late. The title for it came in the mail.
Yippi zippy do da!
Now I need to decide on a price and find a buyer. I think it will make someone a very nice bike if they want a low mileage Special for a daily rider. It's very presentable they way it sits. A person could make it as nice as they want.
Fast forward to yesterday. Santa came a day late. The title for it came in the mail.
Yippi zippy do da!Now I need to decide on a price and find a buyer. I think it will make someone a very nice bike if they want a low mileage Special for a daily rider. It's very presentable they way it sits. A person could make it as nice as they want.
Last edited:
NICE!
POST UP PICS!
Don't recall if you did it or not but putting stainless brake lines will help bakes some. Still won't be like a modern 2 disk brembo system.
One of the best things I did for how the bike felt was pulling off the buckhorns and putting standard bars on it. Even my 83 XJ650 (now sold off) felt so much better with standard bars. The bars and seat rail were donated by a fellow Forum Member. Seat I got off fleabay. Painted tank/side panels myself. the Bars I got for my XJ were only $20 on Amazon and just had to do some cable re routing. But you can leave all that for the next guy if your gonna sell it.
Here is the before / after of my 78 XS650 transformation.
POST UP PICS!
Don't recall if you did it or not but putting stainless brake lines will help bakes some. Still won't be like a modern 2 disk brembo system.
One of the best things I did for how the bike felt was pulling off the buckhorns and putting standard bars on it. Even my 83 XJ650 (now sold off) felt so much better with standard bars. The bars and seat rail were donated by a fellow Forum Member. Seat I got off fleabay. Painted tank/side panels myself. the Bars I got for my XJ were only $20 on Amazon and just had to do some cable re routing. But you can leave all that for the next guy if your gonna sell it.
Here is the before / after of my 78 XS650 transformation.
